Processing
by MissDevon
Summary: Prequel to Sand and Water: Natalie receives legal papers that rock the foundation of her new life.


**Processing**

_AN's__: story takes place in the Sand and Water universe, and predates that story._

Natalie stood between Doc Robbins and Gil Grissom looking clinically at the dead body lying on the table of the morgue, mentally reviewing a list of questions and checking off answers as the two men discussed the rudimentary findings. "Vega, we need to talk," a voice called from the doorway.

"We're in the middle of something Elckie," Grissom groused.

"Since when are three people needed at an autopsy?" the assistant director asked. "I'll return your latest pet unharmed," he added snidely.

Rolling her eyes, Natalie stepped away from the table and walked towards the door, "I'm nobody's pet, Elckie," she said stiffly as she pushed pass him, pulling off and disposing her of latex gloves.

"A little respect if you please."

"Ever hear that if you give it, you'll get it?" Natalie pallied sweetly.

At that Conrad Elckie look at her out of the corner of his eyes, his annoyance at her seeming disregard for his authority apparent: "I take it you like pink paper."

"I take it you'll like writing my recommendation to the bureau," she shot back, unphased. "Face it, Sir, you're not firing me. I'm too good."

"You nightshifters are too cocky."

"Some of us with good reason," at that the older man just shook his head, as she continued. "Besides, you like that I'm not as much of a pushover as the rest of the team."

"Why is it that you aren't?" he wondered aloud. "And why do you so often act as mediator?"

"You and Grissom seem to make it my job," she answered. "And you're no worse than half the men in my family. If I could put up with them, I can put up with you."

Conrad smirked slightly at that, "I really should reassign you to days."

"So the rumors are true then. You ate looking to push Willows out."

"You're a real piece of work."

"So the evidence would suggest. Now, what was so important that you pulled me out of a perfectly interesting autopsy?"

"Someone's here to see you."

"Since when do you allow personal visits on the job?" she wondered.

"Since your visitor's one of your ever so friendly Feds," he replied as he opened the door to his office.

"Agent Santi, Criminalist Vega," he introduced.

Sonia Santi rose and smiled slightly, "Ms. Vega, I appreciate you taking the time to talk with me."

"I wasn't given much of a choice. What can I do for you?" Natalie asked.

"Oh, I'm. . . Well, we're just finishing up a few things on your husband's case," Sonia responded as she looked down to pull some papers from her open briefcase, missing the look to cross the younger woman's face.

"My husband? You must be mistaken. My husband was killed over six years ago."

At that the agent turned to her, a look of slight surprise on her face: "you mean that no one's spoken to you about this? I had assumed that your family or his would've informed you if not, than the bureau."

"Spoken to me about what?"

"I really think it might be better if I get someone from your family or. . ."

"I haven't spoken to almost my entire family in a little over five years," Natalie replied dismissively. "Now, what is going on? Why was Chris's case reopened?"

Sonia swallowed at that: "I think it might be best. . ." she started as Elckie interceded on the criminalist's behalf: "Agent Santi, you've had me pull one of my Criminalists out of an autopsy, the least you can do is inform her as to why. After all, she's not some civilian who needs to be coddled."

"Fine. I was asked by Carlotta and Antonio Vega to come speak to you and have you sign these," she answered handing a stack of legal papers to Natalie.

"I don't understand," she said shakily as she reviewed them. "Why would they want me to sign annulment papers?"

"Because Christian Vega didn't die in that car six years ago. He was taken hostage by his cousin, Tico. We only just released him. He had been tortured, and. . . . Carlotta and Antonio have his Power of Attorney; they want your marriage dissolved in part because Christian has no memory of either the marriage or you."

"Oh. . . G-d. . ." Natalie gasped, her body shaking so hard at the impact of the news she certainly hadn't been expecting that her legs almost gave out. Realizing this, Elckie moved to her and helped to a nearby chair. "How could they not tell me?"

"They seem to think that him knowing about certain thinks would hinder his recovery," Sonia replied uneasily.

"Such as a wife everyone blamed for his death?"

"I'm only the messenger," Sonia deflected. "You should ask them."

"No. No, I don't have to. And you know what? I'm fine with this. Really, I've moved on. Better this happened now than in a month," she rambled. "Elckie, you have a pen?"

"Yeah," he said stiffly, going to get one. Silently, he handed it to her and watched as she uncrumpled the papers and signed them. "Anything else?" she asked as Sonia slammed the paper and pen on to her boss's desk.

"No. I think that's all," Sonia answered as she picked up the packet.

"Fine. I've gotta get back to work."

"Vega, take a couple. . ." Elckie started to order.

"I have to get back to work."

"Fine," he said stiffly. "I'll check on you later."

"Whatever," she bristled before walking out.

Sonia stared at her retreating back as she closed her briefcase, "she's one tough nut," she couldn't help but comment.

"Or so she likes us to believe," Elckie shrugged as he turned to the agent. "Will the annulment be finalized before the end of the month?"

"Why is a month so important?"

"She's getting married next month."

"I'll make sure it's finalized in plenty of time," she assured.

"Good," he nodded as he showed Sonia to the door. "Would it be possible for myself and her supervisor to get copies to review the case's forensics? I don't want her to be blindsided again."

"I'll see what I can do, but you can start with looking at your own back case files. Christian Vega was presumed dead after the car he was in crashed into Lake Meade," she answered surprising him.

* * *

_an hour later_

Grissom knocked on Elckie's door and opened it when the other man called for him to enter. When he did, he was surprised to see CSI Warrick Brown already in the room. "Although I appreciate the sentiment, I don't need a translator at the moment."

"He's not here for you," Elckie groused as he slid the file he was reading to the side. "Really, Supervisor Grissom, didn't you notice that one of your people had been thrown off her game?"

"She had come from seeing you. Seemed reason enough," Grissom answered evenly. "Besides, she's working in one of the labs. Except for a change a mood, nothing seemed a miss."

"And what about you, Brown? Notice anything amiss with your fiancée?"

"We don't 'fraternize' on the job," Warrick answered. "You made sure we knew the rules and consequences on that one."

"Good to know," Elckie replied. "However, there are times some rules need temporarily be broken. One is upon us."

"What's going on Conrad?" Grissom asked suspiciously. "What'd you say to her?"

"Gil, why do you always assume that I'm the bad guy in all matters?"

"You really want me to answer that?"

"Normally, you know that don't grant special favors, nor do I bend the rules. But this is an abnormal situation, and as Criminalist Vega is an important part of our team," he continued unphased.

"What's going on?" Warrick asked.

"I pulled Vega out of an autopsy because a member of the FBI asked to speak to her. Regrettably, I didn't question her as to why she needed to speak to her, figuring that it involved some case. It did, just not one of ours."

"Meaning?" Grissom pried.

"The agent rather haphazardly informed Vega that her late husband isn't deceased after all. She also delivered annulment papers."

"How'd she. . . is Natalie ok?" was all Warrick could manage to get out.

"She wouldn't take a break, but she seemed shaken. I would suggest you spend sometime with her, Brown. And Grissom, I'd keep her on things that are more solitary for a bit."

"I'll do my best to."

"Good."

"I don't. How did this happen?" Warrick asked. "How does a guy get declared dead when he's not, especially in this day and age?"

"That's something I'm looking into," Elckie said holding up a file: "Willows and a couple of others have some tough questions to answer," he added. "Now, go and get back to work," he ordered.

With a nod to his boss and friend, Warrick left. "Don't you have work to do, Grissom?" Elckie remarked without looking up.

"You're taking an interesting tact in this, Conrad. Almost human."

Elckie laughed at that: "saids the robot himself."

"Perhaps," Gil shrugged. "Why the interest? What angle?"

"No angle. The interest, well, she's an interesting girl. Hell, if we're not careful she'll be running this place. She's got a gift with both the science and the diplomacy. I don't want to see it ruined by some idiots."

"Just professional, huh?"

"You deal with your protégés one way, I'll deal with them another. Now, don't you have a case, or five, to solve?"

* * *

Natalie looked up from a microscope as a shadow fell across her. "Elckie told you," she sighed without looking at her fiancé as she made a notation on an evidence sheet.

"Yeah," Warrick answered as he came further into the lab and stood at the end of the table, watching her work.

"Figures."

"You gotta tell me your secret one day," Warrick started softly while he changed slides.

"To what?"

"Getting Elckie to act human."

"He's no worse than half the men in my family. Hell, my grandfather makes him look like a pussy cat. If I can put up with. . ." she started, only to stop short.

"What?"

"Word choice. Should be if I used to be able to put up with him."

Shaking his head at her, he started to speak softly: "how much more before you break?"

"I don't wanna break."

"You need to though."

"Rick. . ."

"You need to talk."

"About what? About the fact that my family once again decided to leave me out of the loop. That no one thought: 'hey, maybe we should tell Natalie that Chris is alive because being his wife and all she might give a damn.' What do you want me to talk about? That they didn't even have the courtesy to give me the papers themselves or at least send someone I knew to?" she demanded.

"Might be a start."

"There's nothing to talk about. I signed the papers. He has no recollection of me or out extremely short marriage, and. . . well, it doesn't change anything. It doesn't affect us."

"Doesn't it?" Warrick pressed. "Look at how angry you are. How. . ?"

"Because Christian, my Christian didn't come back! He wasn't coming back then and he isn't now. I apparently wasn't anything but an inconvenience. And when you think about it, the papers are a formality. If this happened next month then I'd . . ." she shook her head. "Yeah, I'm angry. I'm pissed off as hell. But not about that part of things. At myself maybe for letting my family got to me by not. . . they don't include me. Never have."

"You don't exactly include them, Red."

"For good reasons," she sighed. "But. . . I have a call into one of my uncles. I want to know more. Why. And. . . umm. . . maybe next time, I'll hear something from him, not some stranger or not even John," she continued. "Now, I have evidence to process," she added dismissively.

"You trying to get rid of me, because I'm not planning on going anywhere?"

"Warrick. ."

"Don't go running on me, Red."

Natalie rolled her eyes at that: "where would I go? Besides, we have an important date coming up and considering how much I spent on the dress, you're not backing out."

"Seems to me, I bought some nice duds for that date too," he answered. "You sure you're going to be ok?"

"If people would leave me alone to figure things out, I might."

"OK, OK. I can take a hint."

"When delivered by a sledge hammer."

"You trying to say I'm hard headed?"

"Ya think?"

Warrick just shook his head at that. "OK, I'll go. Breakfast?'

"Sorry, already have plans."

"Starshine?"

"Yup. And you can't join us. Girls morning."

"Lunch then?"

"Maybe," she answered, then looked at him shyly. "We'll talk. I promise."

"Good," he smiled moving to give her a quick kiss. "I gotta get going any way," he added before heading towards the door.

"Warrick?" she called biting her lower lip.

"Yeah?" he replied as he stopped and turned towards her.

"It . . . we're all right, right?"

"You tell me."

"I.. . . um. . . I might have, you known, liked to have seen him, but. . .I'm not that girl any more, you know? I only kept that name so that I didn't have to retake my family name. Didn't want people thinking that I was getting by on it. But I want you to know, given a choice, I would've chosen you."

"Good to know," he said, a bit unsure.

"I mean it. I love you, you know that. Right?"

"Yeah, but I wouldn't mind you proving it later," he teased. "I am a scientist, after all. I like proofs."

Natalie rolled her eyes at that: "when do you get off?"

"Ten minutes ago."

Biting her lip, she looked at what was around her: "this is almost done and the rest is with others. . ." she replied looking at her watch then at him. "You up to an experiment in say, an hour, at your place?"

"I'm sure you can get me up to it."

"You're an ass, you know that?"

"So you keep telling me," he shot back. "See you in a bit. And call Starshine so she knows you'll be late."

"I'm not going to be late."

"I wouldn't count on that. Some experiments need to be run multiple times to be exact. And we are going to have to review the results."

"Why am I marrying you again?" she laughed.

"I'll remind you in an hour or so," he answered as he walked out.

Shifting her attention back to her work Natalie sighed. "It's going to be all right. It has to be," she muttered. "Can't change the past. Gotta look to the future and concentrate on the present. That's Warrick. No question about that, at least as long as I don't screw up.

G-d I don't want to screw this one up."


End file.
